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Extra: Concerning Bashing

I don’t often take out my rants on social media, but on the most recent occasion I did, I was called out on it. Why? Because in my frustration in understanding a particular art form, I bashed it. And considering how common (and easy) bushing is in the anime community, I thought this a worthwhile (though painfully personal) topic to address.

Now, before going any further, let me first define what “bashing” is. You might be surprised. “Bashing” is not just your opinion. It is a harsh attack against something you happen not to like. Having an opinion is fine. In fact, it’s wonderful. But stating that you don’t understand or like a show is not at all the same as saying a show is worthless/dumb/meaningless and that everyone that likes it is a loser. Because that’s not just an opinion. That’s a hateful attack.

There are ways to state your opinion on not liking something in a respectful manor. And though it can be hard to do that when your distaste for something is strong, it’s vital to try.

Why? Simple: words have brought both peace and war. They can love and they can kill. And that is not at all an exaggeration. Cyber bullying is big these days. And it’s not always straight forward. Hateful words spread like a disease and you have no idea how those words typed in a flash of anger can depress and wound someone. Taking the extra time to state your opinion in a logical and respectful manor can not only avoid hurting someone, it can also make your position more clear and professional. Hate spam just isn’t credible. A well thought out post for why a show isn’t your favorite, is.

So, am I still feeling embarrassed that I even participated in a bashing? You bet. But I won’t let my pride stop me from fully learning a good lesson. It’s better to focus on what you love than to bash what you happen to hate. Your day will be brighter for it, trust me.

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About inrosegalaxy

Raised on everything from Moby Dick to the Star Wars X-Wing books from a young age, it came as no surprise to anyone who knew me that I’d become a literature graduate and avid writer. But my love of a good story wasn’t restricted to the written word in my early years. Star Trek, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and badly dubbed Godzilla flicks helped shape my love of science fiction on screen as well.
I wrote my first story while in the second grade. It was a horrifying tale about murdering a fairy-eating dog via a slice of pizza (in my defense, my only exposure to pizza was in the cafeteria and I swear you could legitimately kill someone with those things). I was a special snowflake.
Today I write science fiction, fairy tales, Gothic epistolaries, fantasy and anything else that pops into my bizarre and twisted mind. I write new articles for my blog every Tuesday and Thursday. And if you happen to fancy Japanese animation, I also run an anime review blog, RRAR, which updates every Monday.